Muzaffarnagar riots: After two BJP MLAs, BSP MLA Noor Rana arrested

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Noor Salim Rana for allegedly making hate speech which instigated Muzaffarnagar riots. The BSP leader had gone missing after he was named in an FIR in the Muzaffarnagar riots case.

The arrest comes hours after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som, who was named in the Muzaffarnagar riots case for allegedly circulating a hate video, surrendered before the police.

Som surrendered before the police after he was served with an arrest warrant. After receiving warrant, Som said he's a law-abiding citizen and would therefore surrender.

Hitting out at the Uttar Pradesh government, BJP chief Rajanath Singh said that President's rule should be imposed in the state. Rajnath Singh was speaking at a press conference after he cancelled his Muzaffarnagar visit as the District Magistrate advised him not to tour the area as it may cause tension.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Suresh Rana was on Friday arrested for allegedly making hate speech in connection with Muzaffarnagar riots. Rana and Som had been attending Uttar Pradesh Assembly session for the last few days even as police officials had been waiting outside the building to arrest political leaders accused of making inflammatory speeches.

The police had arrested Rana from Samta Mulak Samaj Chowk in Lucknow after he came out of the Assembly building after the session got over at around 5 pm. He has been taken to the Gomti Nagar police station.

Uttar Pradesh Police Inspector General (Law And Order) Rajkumar Vishwakarma on Friday had said that Rana was arrested when he was on his way from the BJP office to Gomati Nagar area of Lucknow in a car.

"I have not run away anywhere. I have done nothing illegal. I had come to surrender myself. They are treating me like a common criminal," Rana had said after his arrest.

Arrest warrants were issued against several UP politicians including BJP MLAs Sangeet Som, Bhartentu Singh, Suresh Rana, Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders Rakesh Tikait and Naresh Tikait, BSP MP Kadir Rana, BSP MLAs Noor Saleen Rana, Jameel Ahmed, Congress leader and former Muzaffarnagar MP Saeed-ur-Zama, Samajwadi Party's Rasheed Siddiqui and 16 other people.